3 Losses on Chiefs' 2024 Schedule That Would Be Catastrophic

The full 2024 NFL season schedule was released on Wednesday, revealing the Kansas City Chiefs' road to a potential Super Bowl three-peat. While some fans are disappointed at the hand that the defending champions were dealt, the Chiefs have more than enough talent to overcome an unfavorable schedule to continue making NFL history in the process.

But as good as the Chiefs are (which happens to be really good), there isn't a flawless. Kansas City's road to last year's Super Bowl win featured some unfortunate losses that could've derailed many teams. Fortunately, head coach Andy Reid is an expert at getting his team to rebound and get back on track.

Regardless of the team's bounce-back ability, there are certain games on the Chiefs' 2024 schedule that they shouldn't lose. With that in mind, losses against the following three teams would be nothing short of catastrophic.

1. Week 12 @ Carolina Panthers

Week 12 of the 2024 season features a matchup between last year's best and worst teams. While the Chiefs navigated the 2023 campaign to win their third Super Bowl in five seasons, the Carolina Panthers finished the regular season as the league's worst team with a 2-15 record.

The Panthers now have the displeasure of hosting the defending Super Bowl Champions in a matchup that the Chiefs shouldn't lose. Yes, general manager Dan Morgan has done everything in his power to upgrade the roster this offseason, but it's fair to say that the Panthers still aren't even close to being on the same level as Patrick Mahomes & Co.

Having said that, a loss to the Panthers would be extremely embarrassing for the Chiefs. Carolina was near the bottom of the league in most 2023 team statistics, including points for (T-31st), points against (29th), and average scoring margin (31st), whereas Kansas City ranked 14th, 2nd, and 5th, respectively, in those categories.

The Chiefs also haven't lost to the Panthers since 2008, winning the latest three meetings while outscoring by an average of 3.7 PPG. If anything, Carolina is much worse now than the team Kansas City last faced in 2020, meaning the margin of victory should be even wider even if the Chiefs are on the road.

Considering how the Chiefs also have to face the rival Las Vegas Raiders just five games after this clash, it's more evident that a loss must be avoided. A defeat to Carolina could put Kansas City in a bad head space, potentially opening the door for another upset loss to Las Vegas.

In other words, the Chiefs must handle their business at Bank of America Stadium. For now, they're currently the 7-point road favorites over the Panthers on DraftKings Sportsbook.